Perhaps you’re one of the nonprofit organizations that has had great success raising funds on Giving Tuesday. You jumped on it early, got your donors to make it a habit, and kept the momentum going strong for the last decade.
Congratulations. This post is not for you!
But if your organization has put a lot of effort into Giving Tuesday and seen the returns decline, maybe you decided to give it a rest this year. Or maybe, you’re one of the many groups that never jumped on the Giving Tuesday bandwagon.
And right now, a couple of weeks out, you’re having second thoughts.
“What if I’m missing out? What if all the other people gearing up for the Tuesday after Thanksgiving are right and I’m wrong? Should I put something together in a rush before I head off to my holiday dinner?
NO. The answer is a big, fat NO.
If you're not already committed to Giving Tuesday, here are three reasons to take a deep breath and let it go. Share on X- Doing a good fundraising message takes time. Doing a bad fundraising message is a waste of time.
- When Giving Tuesday was new, it was easy to get donors’ attention that day. Now, every other email in their inbox says “It’s Giving Tuesday!” Don’t get lost in the crowd.
- There are many other things you can do right now, and before the end of the year, that will raise more money than a slapdash Giving Tuesday email.
How to Raise Money without Giving Tuesday
Take the time you would have spent on creating an effective appeal for the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving and put it into these steps instead:
- Thank your loyal donors. The first Thursday after the holiday would be an especially good time to let them know how great they are, but really, that’s a welcome message any time.
- Craft the ideal appeal letter. Direct mail still raises more money than any other approach, even if the donors may go to your website to make the donation. But…
- Follow it up with email.
- Follow it up by phone.
- Have the ideal thank-you letter ready to go within 48 hours of receiving the donation. That way, you’ll be building on the relationship that will lead to the next donation!